Michigan health officials have a hellish year. First came the novel coronavirus, who is still out there claiming lives, and now they have to deal with a rare mosquito-borne disease.
Authorities urge locals to stay indoors after dawn and protect themselves against mosquitoes via repellent or other means.
Reasons For Concern
A resident from Barry County was suspect of carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a potentially deadly disease provoked by the EEE virus.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) published the news on Tuesday:
“This suspected EEE case in a Michigan resident shows this is an ongoing threat to the health and safety of Michiganders and calls for continued actions to prevent exposure, including aerial treatment,” stated Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive and chief deputy for the health of the MDHHS.
“MDHHS continues to encourage local officials in the affected counties to consider postponing, rescheduling or canceling outdoor activities occurring at or after dusk, particularly those involving children to reduce the potential for people to be bitten by mosquitoes,” she added.
Over twenty horses across ten counties tested positive for EEE, twice the amount of registered cases during the same period last year.
Measures
The state conducts aerial treatment across various high-risk areas, attempting to diminish the population of mosquitoes that carry the disease.
Five human EEE patients were reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this year, as of ten days ago.
Two cases were registered in Wisconsin and the rest in Massachusetts.
There are usually only five to ten human cases reported yearly in the United States, the CDC claims.
Approximately a third of all cases lead to death.